Nathan - POV

  Jack’s birthday was tomorrow, and the house was filled with a strange mixture of excitement and sorrow. Excitement, because birthdays were rare occasions when our family could forget the weight of survival and simply celebrate. Sorrow, because this birthday marked the beginning of Jack’s departure. After tomorrow, Father would escort him to the estate of Baron Gerald Fredrick, where he would begin his knight training. He would remain there for two years, honing his body and discipline, before Father returned to fetch him and present him to the church for his long-awaited advancement ceremony.

  It was a rite of passage, one that every aspiring knight endured. But knowing that didn’t make the parting any easier.

  We tried once more to convince Jack to learn mana sense before he left. Serena and I demonstrated, explained, even pleaded a little. But Jack, stubborn as ever, refused. “I’ll learn from you later,” he said, brushing us off with that confident grin of his. We didn’t push any further. He had made his choice and forcing him would only sour the moment.

  Still, I wanted to give him something meaningful. Something that would remind him of us while he was away. So, I approached Father and asked him to purchase an expensive sword as a birthday gift...from me. I even provided the funds courtesy of my imp-powered side hustle. Father agreed without hesitation.

  That night, we held a feast worthy of nobility. Mother outdid herself, preparing roasted chicken, pork, duck, and even sweets. The table groaned under the weight of dishes that would have been unthinkable for a peasant family like ours, had it not been for our ill-gotten wealth. Jack’s eyes shone as he took it all in, and for a moment, he looked like a child again, not the young man about to march into the world of knights and nobles.

  When we presented him with the sword, he grew uncharacteristically emotional. His hands trembled as he accepted it, and I couldn’t blame him. The blade was beautiful; short, elegant, with intricate designs carved into the steel. Father explained that the carvings were runes, enchantments that kept the blade sharp and strengthened its durability. A sword that never dulled, never rusted. A weapon worthy of a knight.

  Jack hugged me tightly, and though I tried to play it off with a smirk, I felt the weight of the moment. This was his first sword, his first step into a larger world.

  By morning, it was time to say goodbye. Jack promised he would return whenever he could, though we all knew his training would consume him. The baron’s castle was only twenty miles away; not far by Earth standards, but here, it was a full day’s journey on foot. Father escorted him, and we stood at the edge of the road, waving until they disappeared from sight.

  The house felt emptier without him.

  Serena and I threw ourselves into training, perhaps to distract ourselves from the absence. This time, Mother and Krizek accompanied us into the woods. Mother offered constant advice, correcting our posture, refining our mana flow, teaching us how to conserve energy. Yet even she remained baffled by our chantless magic.

  We didn’t speak incantations, but we still needed concentration. Serena, for example, could summon a small flame instantly, but a fireball required four full seconds of focus. The more complex the spell, the longer the casting time. I faced the same dilemma.

  Mother explained that to reduce casting time, we needed to increase our Intelligence stat. And how did one do that? By learning. By acquiring knowledge. That made perfect sense to me, though my dolt of a sister seemed less convinced. Still, I resolved to help her. I would teach her science, mathematics, and other concepts from Earth. I considered including Mother and Father in these lessons but decided against it...for now. Explaining where I had acquired such knowledge would open a can of worms I wasn’t ready to deal with.

  With Mother and Krizek present, I decided it was time to test something new. I had only summoned Krizek so far, but I wanted to see if I could call forth more demons. In the game, I had been limited to one summon at a time. But this wasn’t a game. This was Hovdenia.

  I warned Mother and Serena of what I was about to do. They braced themselves, eyes wide with anticipation.

  “Summon Voidwalker.”

  A ripple of darkness tore through the air, and a massive blue entity emerged. Its form was hulking, shadowy, its presence oppressive. I glanced at Krizek; he remained unaffected. My heart raced. I could summon multiple demons at once.

  “Master,” the voidwalker intoned, its voice deep and resonant.

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  “Uh… what’s your name?” I asked.

  “Xanderous, Master.”

  “Do you mind if I call you Xander?”

  “Your will is my will, Master.”

  Good enough. “Xander, this is my sister Serena, my mother Dianne, and Krizek...my personal assistant.”

  “Of course, Master. Your orders?”

  “Can you hide yourself?”

  “Yes, Master. I can mask my essence and vanish into the shadows.”

  “Perfect. Guard us from any threat but remain hidden. I need to summon the others.”

  So far, so good. Like Krizek, Xander didn’t drain my mana. Encouraged, I moved on.

  “Summon Incubus.”

  A swirl of shadow condensed into a figure...a young man with horns, dressed in a dapper striped suit, his long black hair flowing, bat-like wings unfurled. Everything about him screamed gigolo.

  He bowed low. “Master Nathan. Leshner, at your service.”

  “Uh… hi, Leshner. This is my sister Serena and my mother Dianne.”

  He kissed Serena’s hand, making her giggle, then conjured a bouquet of flowers for Mother, his accent suddenly French. “Mademoiselle, it is a pleasure to meet the vessel of our great master.”

  I groaned. “No! My mother is not one of your targets, Leshner. You are only to protect them.” I shoved him back, glaring.

  “Of course, Master. I meant no disrespect.”

  “Furthermore, your lecherous nature is not to be directed at any member of my family.”

  Mother laughed at my indignation, which only made it worse.

  “Understood, Master,” Leshner said, bowing again.

  “What can you do?” I asked.

  “Anything you desire, Master. Assassination, kidnappings, torture, spreading chaos, introducing ‘freedom’...”

  “Stop!” I cut him off before he could traumatize my mother further.

  “Later,” I muttered. “For now, meet Krizek and Xander.”

  Finally, it was time for the one I had been most curious about.

  “Summon Succubus.”

  Dark mist swirled, and I braced myself for the seductive demoness of fantasy art. Instead, a small girl appeared.

  She wore a maid’s uniform, her long black hair framing a delicate face. Two white horns jutted from her head, and small bat wings sprouted from her back. Her eyes glowed ominously, yet her expression was timid.

  “Master?” she asked, her voice trembling like a frightened child.

  “What’s your name?”

  “Shive, Master,” she said tearfully.

  Before I could respond, Leshner interjected. “Master, if I may, Shive is more attuned to you than any of us. Her soul is bound to yours in an intimate way. In time, she will grow into whatever form your desires dictate.”

  “Now hold on, my boy is still a child,” Mother snapped.

  “She’s so cute! Can we keep her?” Serena asked, eyes sparkling.

  I sighed. “Right now, I’ll have to unsummon you all. I’ll call you later.”

  At that, Shive burst into tears. “He doesn’t want me!” she wailed.

  Mother, ever the nurturer, swept her into her arms. “Now, now, don’t cry, little one. Nathan won’t send you away.” She shot me a glare sharp enough to cut steel. Serena joined in, glaring as well.

  How was this my fault?

  Leshner chuckled. “Hahaha… our master is already a lady-killer at such a young age. I have much to learn.” He bowed. “We await your summons, Master.”

  I unsummoned everyone except Shive.

  “See? Nathan didn’t send you away,” Mother soothed.

  “I wasn’t sending them away...I just unsummoned them,” I muttered.

  “Same thing,” Serena said.

  Mother smiled at Shive. “Come now, little girl. Let’s get you some food.”

  “Can I stay with you and Master?” Shive asked, her eyes wide and pleading.

  “Of course,” Mother said gently. “But please, do something about your eyes, horns, and wings.”

  And with a casual snap of her small fingers, the horns, wings, and eerie glow vanished. In their place stood what looked like an ordinary little girl; black-haired, wide-eyed, dressed neatly in a maid’s uniform that made her seem more like a doll than a demon.

  I let out a long, weary sigh as we turned back toward the house. What had started as a simple summoning experiment had spiraled into something far more complicated. Now I had a demon child clinging to my mother’s hand and my sister glaring at me like I’d just kicked a puppy.

  Troublesome? Absolutely. But beneath my exasperation, I couldn’t help the grin tugging at the corner of my mouth. Because when I glanced at my system prompt, there it was, the reward I’d been hoping for all along:

  +15 Intelligence.

  Internally, I was cheering. Whatever else Shive turned out to be; burden, ally, or disaster in the making; she had already proven her worth. Along with the others.